Sanitary Code / Water Supplies Louisiana Standards for Water Works Construction, Operation and Maintenance

Sanitary Code / Water Supplies Louisiana Standards for Water Works Construction, Operation and Maintenance

LDH Office of Public Health November 09, 2017

Under the authority of R.S. 40:4, 40:4.13, and 40:5 and in accordance with R.S. 49:950 et seq., the Administrative Procedure Act, notice is hereby given that the state health officer, acting through the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health (LDH-OPH), intends to amend Part XII (Water Supplies) of the Louisiana State Sanitary Code (LAC 51). When effective, the proposed amendments to Part XII will assist LDH-OPH in ensuring the continued protection of the health of the public from contaminated drinking water through enforceable construction, operation and maintenance standards that address the proper design, operation and maintenance of public water systems.

The proposed rulemaking is authorized under Act 292 and Act 488 of the Regular Legislative Sessions, 2013 and 2014, respectively. These Louisiana standards were developed and approved by the Louisiana Standards for Water Works Construction, Operation, and Maintenance Committee (a.k.a., “water committee”) which was initially created by Act 292 of 2013. The Recommended Standards for Water Works, 2012 Edition (commonly referred to as the “Ten State Standards” and published by the Great Lakes - Upper Mississippi River Board of State and Provincial Public Health and Environmental Managers) was used as the basis of this proposed rule and the text therein was modified by the water committee to develop a customized state version which, in certain instances, is more applicable to the South’s climatic conditions and to Louisiana, in particular. The effective date of the final rule is proposed to be postponed until August 1, 2018 for the permitting of new public water systems or the modification to existing public water systems. The bulk of the proposed Louisiana standards are contained in the following listed Subchapters (with the general subject matter listed in the same order as in the Ten State Standards).